Amarinder's rival appointed CLP chief

Smarting at the defeat in the recent Assembly elections in Punjab, the Congress High Command today delivered a body blow to former chief minister Amarinder Singh by appointing his arch-rival and former deputy CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal as Leader of the Congress Legislature Party.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi also accepted the resignation of Shamsher Singh Dullo, the Punjab Congress Committee president who had resigned owning moral responsibility for the defeat. He has been asked to continue till the appointment of the next PCC president, according to a press release issued by AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi.

At the Congress chief ministers' conclave in Chandigarh barely one-and-a-half years ago, Amarinder Singh had emerged as the 'Best Congress CM,' given his superlative performance in implementing the party's manifesto.

It was because of his much-trumpeted performance that the High Command always sided with him in his turf war with Bhattal and former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar.

According to party sources, such Gandhi's faith that she countenanced no opposition to him.

All these hopes were belied by the results and the sense of betrayal felt at 10, Janpath was evident from the High Command's action today.

Gandhi's decision has also came as a snub to AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab Janardan Dwivedi, who had replaced senior leader Pranab Mukherjee in January 2006. Dwivedi had gone out of the way to defend Singh on every party forum.